Music Soothes the Savage Beast
by TouchofPixieDust
Summary: Alternate Title: How to Harass a Hanyou. Miroku and Sango take turns torturing poor Inuyasha with music while Kagome is away. Now its Kagomes time to face the music.
1. How to Harass a Hanyou

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi and the song "First Day of the Rest of My Life" belongs to MXPX, but this story belongs to me.

Music Soothes the Savage Beast

...or not…

(Alternate Title: How To Harass A Hanyou)

"It was so thoughtful for Lady Kagome to leave her magical music machine with us while she returns to her era." "It's a CD player, moron." Inuyasha huffed as he jumped into a tree close to the edge of camp. "And it's not magical, its E-LEC-TRON-IC. Don't you know anything?" 

"Not all of us have had the benefit of traveling to Lady Kagome's era to witness the wonders there." Miroku said calmly, pretending he didn't see the smug look on the hanyou's face at the reminder that only HE could go to Kagome's era.

Sango rolled her eyes and continued to clean her bone boomerang. Camp was always too full of testosterone when Kagome left.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as Miroku let his fingers glide along the smooth surface of the CD player. The plastic substance was amazing. Light and thin, but very strong. Inside were little wires and magical parts that made music come through the pieces that you put over the ears. It was an remarkable piece of work to a man from Feudal Japan.

But that wasn't exactly the best part of the machine. Oh no. The best part was how insanely jealous his male traveling companion would get whenever Miroku would touch anything of Kagome's, even if it was just her CD player. And since the dog demon would rather be gutted than admit to such feelings, he would merely watch and snarl a bit. Miroku had to admit that he likely spent more time touching the CD player than was necessary, but it was so much fun to watch the hanyou fight his protective instincts.

_Those instincts are to kill you at the moment,_ Miroku reminded himself with a chuckle. Even the sane part of his mind was amused by that.

With a smile, Miroku put the earphones on and adjusted the volume. Once it reached maximum capacity he hit play. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Inuyasha's ears twitch, a sure sign that he can hear the music as well. _Ah well_, he thought to himself, _the things one must endure_. Sure the music was far too loud for him, but that was the way it had to be.

The sounds of drums and guitars blasted through the earpieces, making Miroku wince slightly. He turned the knob a little to make the sound more tolerable before his ears began bleeding.

A male voice begins to sing. Miroku watches Inuyasha's ear twitch again, then lower slightly. The stubborn dog demon, well, half dog demon, refused to aknowledge the music. _That just makes it more fun._

The singing man despairs over the loss the love who left him. Though it has only been one day, he misses her. He swears to find her some how, some way, some day.

Inuyasha's ears flick towards the music. Even though Miroku could not hear the hanyou, he knew that he was growling by the startled look on Sango's face. Looking down he noticed the fox kit staring at him hard. To be more precise, he was staring at the headphones he was wearing.

It was difficult keeping his smile to himself, but sometimes these demons were just toooooo easy.

The singer laments that he can no longer see his love's smile or her eyes, and that even though they have only been separated for a day, he already misses her. He worries that it will be the last time that he ever sees her.

During the guitar interlude Miroku chanced another glance at the hanyou. He was looking quite agitated. Pleased with himself, Miroku began to move his mouth to the words, knowing them by heart. After all, this was his new favorite song to play when Kagome was gone.

The singer fears that he is going to spend the rest of his life alone now that his love has left. He doesn't know where he is going to go or what he is going to do. He misses his love. He repeats his fear of being alone several times to the beat of the drums.

Inuyasha's ears had drooped, refusing to look towards the group. Miroku found that to be a very good sign. _Ah, the things I do for true love._ The hanyou looked lost and alone, which made the monk smile. Shippo's eyes were beginning to water and his lip was starting to tremble. _Good. Good. Things are definitely looking up. _

Once again the singer despairs over never looking into his love's eyes again. Over and over he repeats the phrase. Never seeing her again. It would be the last time he ever saw her eyes. He misses her.

Miroku tapped his foot to the beat of the guitar and drums, concentrating on looking as if he were only interested in the music.

Never see her again.

"I MISS KAGOME!" wailed Shippo.

Inuyasha leapt from his tree and proclaimed Miroku to be a child born out of wedlock forsaken by God as well as the son of a female dog that he has an inappropriate relationship with. In addition he informed the monk that he should consider his destination to be the theological place of eternal punishment.

Well, maybe he didn't use those EXACT words, but the meaning was pretty much the same. He also felt it necessary to express his displeasure in a more… physical way.

When Miroku came to he was staring into the not particularly sympathetic brown eyes of his favorite demon slayer.

"Why do you provoke him, monk?"

Miroku smiled innocently. "Me? Provoke Inuyasha? On purpose? Why would I do such a thing?"

He watched as a highly irritated dog demon sped to the well, followed closely by the little fox kit. Inuyasha may be gone for anywhere from an hour to a day or two, depending on Kagome. Shippo was sure to stay by the well hoping they would come back until at least sunset. Kirara would follow to make sure the kit returned safely.

That gave him at least three hours to enjoy his time with Sango.

Alone.

_What's a concussion or two in the name of love anyhow? _

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Author's Note: When I decided to add a second chapter to this story I thought I'd go through and make a couple changes on this chapter too so I could fix a couple of errors.


	2. Dangerous Dancing with Demons

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi and the song "Milkshake" belongs to Kelis, but this story belongs to me.

Music Soothes the Savage Beast

...or tortures him…

(Alternate Title: Dangerous Dancing with Demons)

"What's a milkshake?"

Inuyasha looked a little surprised at the question. "A milkshake? It's a drink from Kagome's time. It has milk and frozen stuff called ice cream all mixed together. Sometimes it has chocolate or strawberry in it too."

"Have you ever had one?"

"Sure. They're pretty good."

"Is that why the boys go to the yard? Is it Kagome's yard?"

Inuyasha blinked. Cocked his head to the side. "What are you talking about?"

"Sango's been listening to a song about milkshakes."

The demon slayer couldn't resist laughing any longer. She covered her mouth to hide her smile and fiddled with the controls on the CD player. When Inuyasha turned his piercing gaze on her she tried to look as innocent as possible.

"Oh yeah?" he asked suspiciously.

Sango took a deep steadying breath. _I can do this_, she told herself. She was Sango of the demon slayers. She feared no man or demon. Kagome, on the other hand, could be downright scary... But she was doing this for her friend, so surely she would be forgiven for what she was about to do.

"It is a song from Kagome's time," she began. "It is about... desserts... I wonder if Kagome left any desserts at Kaede's. Perhaps she left some pocky."

"Pocky!" chirped Shippo.

Sango smiled. "Sure. Why not have Kirara take you back and see if there is any left."

The kit put up no fight. Kirara let out a roar and transformed into her giant fire cat form. She looked at Sango in confusion for a moment. The slayer whispered in her ear, scratched her head, and sent the two of them back off to the village.

"Why did you ditch the brat?"

Sango tried to flutter her eyelashes in an attempt to look innocent. She doubted she was pulling it off, but she had to try something. "Ditch Shippo? Do not be so silly, Inuyasha." She let out a nervous giggle.

The giggle was what made both men look at her in concern.

"Is this about the song?" asked Miroku.

Sango opened the pulled out the miniature speakers for the CD player that Kagome brought last time so that they could all enjoy the music. "In a way. I thought you might want to hear the song. But it is not really about milkshakes."

"No?"

Sango stood up and brushed her sweaty palms against the fabric of her kimono before addressing Miroku's question. "No. But it is a song that is being played at the dance that she is going to this evening."

"Ah yes," smiled the monk, obviously fantasizing about young girls dancing, "The dance she was telling us about."

"Yes. Kagome was showing me one of the dances that will be done there."

"She did?"

"Yes, just yesterday before we got ready to go into the hot-spring. I asked her to show me what they would be doing."

"She did?"

She hoped it wasn't her imagination, but Miroku and Inuyasha definitely looked more interested. She could do this. She was afraid of no man or beast or demon. Besides, it was just Miroku and Inuyasha. But it wasn't fear that was keeping her fingers from pressing the play button. Putting her hands behind her back to still their nervous twitching she asked, "Would you like to see?"

"Yes!"

"Keh, whatever."

Miroku looked up from his place on the ground near the fire. Inuyasha put his hands behind his head and lowered his eyelids lazily, but looking beneath his lashes. Well, this was it. No turning back now.

She pressed PLAY.

The music had a strong beat that was easy to follow. Too bad she was paralyzed with Miroku and Inuyasha watching her. This was not the type of dancing either had ever seen before, something a lady wouldn't do. And neither of them have EVER seen HER move like that before. It was different dancing in front of the men than dancing with Kagome. Ignoring her burning cheeks, Sango gave Inuyasha and Miroku one last look before closing her eyes.

She was Sango. She was not afraid of anything.

First she let her hips move to the music. Small side to side movements that matched the beat. Slowly she turned around so that her back was towards them. It hid her embarrassment, and accentuated the hip movements.

"_I know you want it_," the lady sings, "_What the guys go crazy for._"

Inuyasha cursed in surprise. "What is she doing?"

"Shut up," hissed the monk.

"_La la-la la la_," sang the woman.

Sango braved a peek over her shoulder. Inuyasha was looking at her like she was insane. Miroku was looking at her in a way she had never seen before. Sure she knew he knew she was a woman, but he never gave her THAT look before. Suddenly she felt a bit more powerful.

Using her hips she swayed in a circle to the music, letting her arms raise the way Kagome showed her.

"_My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard,"_ Sango mouthed the words as the woman sang. She wasn't sure exactly what it meant, but she had a pretty good idea it wasn't about a frozen drink. But it was the beat she was most interested in, not the words. More specifically, she was more interested in the dance that went with the beat. Then she gave an experimental shake of her shoulders to the beat, causing Miroku to inhale sharply. Was his nose bleeding? She took a deep breath.

She was Sango. She was brave. She could do this.

"The girls do not dance alone," she said, not looking the monk in the eye, and unable to believe she was about to do this. But she would do anything for Kagome. So she danced over to Miroku and took hold of his sleeve and pulled him to his feet. "Just stand here," she told him, "Do not move."

She turned her attention to Inuyasha. "They dance with partners."

Then she turned around to face Inuyasha with her back to Miroku. "No touching, monk," she warned.

"The man does nothing?"

She sighed, "Of course they do, but Kagome only showed me the female's steps. So you just stand there until I tell you that you can move."

She began to dance again. Her hip movements changed from side to side to back and forth. She heard Miroku whisper a prayer and saw Inuyasha turn his head and blush. In fact, it looked like he was about to bolt. Unfortunately he looked like he was going to take off in the opposite direction of the well. And that just wouldn't do.

" _La la-la la la, The boys are waiting._"

"Generally the males and females dance together," she said silkily, watching Inuyasha carefully, "Like this."

She felt drunk on triumph when he turned around, his golden eyes blazing in fury. Bending her knees she wiggled downwards with her arms in the air, then back up with her back against Miroku's front. The dog demon's nose was flaring in anger.

"Kagome said she was going with her three female friends," he growled.

"Luckily," said Sango as she continued to dance and ignore Inuyasha's comment, "The clothes the girls will be wearing work well with this song."

"How so?" asked Miroku after clearing his throat.

"Many of the shirts they wear are tight so you can see every curve of the body, or short so you can see their bellies. Often they wear short skirts or form fitting pants that ride low on the hips. Sometimes they wear short dresses that are cut low in front." She moved her hands as she described the clothes to show what she meant.

"_You must maintain your charm, same time maintain your halo,_" Sango sang along with the woman. She danced as Inuyasha simmered, knuckles cracking and claws flexing.

"She said she was going with her female friends."

Sango laughed. "Did you think that males would not be there?" She turned in a slow circle and looked at him over her shoulder. "Do you really think that her friends will stay by her side to protect her from the boys when they want nothing more to be dancing with them? Girls go to dances to dance with the boys."

"_Then he's picked up your scent_," she smiled as she sang, Inuyasha's swearing ringing in her ears as he punched a tree and disappeared in the direction of the well.

Sango stopped dancing as she watched the dust settle and the music eventually ended.

"You...you did that... to make him go to Kagome?" Miroku squeaked.

The demon slayer turned towards him with her hands on her hips. "Of course! He was being so stubborn. Kagome was hinting that she wanted him there, but he just would not get it. So I gave him a little nudge."

"Can you play the song again?"

"Pervert."

Sango blushed as she picked up the CD player from where it was resting. She unplugged the speakers and packed them up before plugging in the earphones again. With a wicked smirk she found the song again, put the earphones on, and hit PLAY. Then she grabbed her weapon and headed towards Kaede with a dance in her step.

She had a feeling Miroku would not be straying tonight.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Author's Note: I decided to go ahead and add another chapter to this story. I know it was supposed to just be a one shot, but I couldn't help myself.


	3. Please

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns Inuyasha and all the characters in his universe, not me. ...sad, but true...

Disclaimer part II: _Please Dear Mommy _is a song by Dan Tyminski (a bluegrass song). Also not mine.

Please

_"Please dear Mommy.."_

"What's Shippo doing at the well?" asked Sango in a hushed voice as she knelt down beside Miroku, who was hiding in the bushes. He was glad for the company as he spied... er... kept an eye on Shippo. Especially her company. However, in a effort to not seem too eager for her presence, thereby scaring her off, Miroku attempted to at least look like he was concentrating solely on the kit.  
_  
"Don't hate my Daddy..."_

"He's singing."

"_I love him more than anything..._"

"Do you think he's talking about Inuyasha?" 

_"Please don't let him go..."_

"It is quite likely," answered Miroku as he shifted just a little bit, bringing himself slightly closer to the demon slayer, while looking like he was simply innocently readjusting his position. "After all, Kagome is like a mother to him. It is only logical that he sees Inuyasha as a father figure."

"Mm."

Shippo's voice carried as he pleaded with Daddy to not leave his Mommy. His voice was young and sorrowful, brimming with emotion. The emptiness of the well gave it a slight echo. It was a very nice effect that caused Miroku's heart to ache just a bit. In Shippo's song, the kit reminded them of the promise that Daddy would never leave Mommy, and he promises that he would be good if he would only stay.

"Inuyasha angered Kagome and made her leave again."

It wasn't a question, Sango was simply stating a fact. Miroku held in a smile as he heard a growl from above them. For someone who loudly proclaimed he did not care when she came, he certainly never was far from the well when the miko left.

"One of these days she will forget all about any promises she made. A heart can only be broken so many times before it can no longer heal." She sighed heavily, then smacked Miroku for where his eyes strayed. He noticed it was only a half hearted slap, and he was cheered. His progress with winning the slayers heart was slow, but it was still progress.

"That he did." There was a distinct sound of bark being ripped. Likely claws were digging into the tree branch.

Shippo continued to sing of how he was taught to say his prayers and stand up tall, and how he was taught that if he didn't have anything good to say to not say anything at all. Miroku knew that the kit had changed the words slightly. After all, the words originally were about a little girl. It was a very nice touch when his voice cracked just slightly. Then he sang of how he overheard the angry words that brought tears to his eyes. Miroku fought to keep from looking up as he heard uncomfortable fidgeting. Hopefully Inuyasha was remembering, and feeling guilty about, the cruel words he said that drove Kagome back to her time. Honestly, when will he learn?

_"Please dear Mommy..."_

"I fear that one day..." Miroku said quietly. Though not too quietly.

_"Don't hate my Daddy..."_

"That our Kagome will learn to truly hate." The grumbling sounds above him stopped. In fact, all sounds coming from Inuyasha's position stopped. It was very tempting to check and see if he was still there. 

"I would miss her," Sango sighed again as she wrapped her arms around her knees. It was an unusual posture for her. The demon slayer rarely showed this side of herself. She almost looked... vulnerable. It took all of his self control to not put his arm around her. For comforting purposes only, of course. "But I would understand if she decided to leave us forever. I would wish her good luck in her life on the other side of the well, and try to be happy for her."

_"Promise you that I'd be good... if you don't go away..."_

"But Shippo would be devastated. He has lost so much in his young life. Losing Kagome would break him."

"He would survive." Miroku risked putting his hand on top of hers in a comforting gesture. She didn't pull it away. "We could not replace Kagome in his heart, but perhaps we could give him a place in our family." She didn't correct him or whack him over the head for such a suggestion. Miroku took this to be a good sign.

_"Daddy you should make my Mommy stay."_

"Poor Shippo," Sango said as she very nearly put her head on Miroku's shoulder. Unfortunately she caught herself in time. Regretfully, she also pulled her hand from his. "He doesn't understand that trying to 'make' Kagome stay is a really bad idea. It would be like holding her prisoner. I couldn't bear to see her unhappy. Even if it means living her life on the other side of the well."

"I agree."

"Why does he have to be such an idiot? Why can't he see that Kagome sacrifices so much to stay with us? Why can't he see that she loves him?"

There was still no sound from above them. It was a little disturbing how silent the area was, especially considering the topic of discussion. Usually Inuyasha would have thrown a blustering fit by now. Only Shippo's small voice and a few rustling leaves made any noise at all. Had Inuyasha actually left?

There was really only one way to find out.

"There is a young man on the other side that is courting Kagome. Perhaps she should give him a chance. You should encourage her to say 'yes' to him, my dearest Sango."

No. It would appear that Inuyasha was still with them. The violent snarls, spat out curses, and the broken tree limb crashing to the ground were proof of that. Miroku didn't even have time to jump to his feet before he was flying across the clearing.

...

"...waking up yet?"

Groan. 

Every bone in his body ached.

Sango was hovering over him worriedly. He could swear that she even tenderly brushed his hair out of his eyes as she searched for the knot on his head. Her hands were surprisingly gentle and soft. 

It was totally and completely worth the pain.

She used the knuckles of her hand, instead of her fingertips. One evening she had confessed that she was sometimes embarrassed that her hands were a little rough from the calluses. But it was to be expected of a warrior such as her. They made her no less a lady, and he had told her so. She had almost kissed him then, and would have if Inuyasha hadn't started shouting at Kagome about her desire to return home for more of those tests. But that almost kiss brought a smile to Miroku's lips.

"He's alive," Shippo stated as he poked the fallen monk between the eyes. 

"So it would seem." Sango's eyes danced in merriment. It was good to see her happy.

"Inuyasha...?" Miroku asked as he continued to lay on his back with Sango sitting next to him. Looking down at him in a way that made his heart beating harder.

She smiled at him. "He went after Kagome."

"I feel sorry for the boy in her time. Kagome won't be happy if he starts killing people," Shippo said as he crawled into Sango's lap, ruining the fantasy Miroku was beginning to build up in his mind. "So..." the kit turned to Miroku, Hojo completely forgotten, "You promised me your share of the pocky if I sang that song. Where is it?"

"You... _BRIBED_ Shippo to sing that song?"

Miroku grinned. Unrepentant.

Sango laughed. Then she stood up and gave him her hand to help him to his feet. She shook her head at him as she brushed the leaves and debris from her clothing. 

"Oh, Miroku. I can't decide if I should scold you for being so manipulative or..." Her jaw snapped shut so suddenly that Miroku was worried she was injured. Then he noticed as her cheeks turned a delicate shade of pink. His new favorite color. She cleared her throat and turned to walk back to the village.

"..." Miroku blinked, then inhaled deeply. "I choose the second option."

Before following Sango, and attempting to wheedle out of her just what the other option was (likely earning him another concussion), Miroku turned to look at the well and frowned.

Should it be this difficult to get two people who loved each other together? Were they trying to force something to happen that might be better left alone? After all, there was no guarantee that the well would stay open once the jewel was completed. Whatever magic makes the well work, there are no promises that it would go on forever. Each time she leaves, there is a chance that she will be gone for good, unable to return to them. Perhaps that is why Inuyasha was so adamant that she not leave.

There was no guarantee that any of them would even survive Naraku.

He focused his attention back onto Sango, who was turned to face him. She beckoned him with a sweet smile. Flexing his cursed hand, he thought about how brief and uncertain life was. He returned Sango's smile and began walking.

Perhaps... perhaps putting things off until the future was not the best solution after all. Perhaps it was foolish to make that gamble. If they did not survive Naraku, did he really want to die with the regret of never loving Sango? Of allowing themselves to be in love? It is possible that Naraku may take their lives in the end. But he did not control their lives now. Not unless they let him. Life is too short to be an idiot.

"Sango... have I told you today how beautiful you are?"

Just because Inuyasha was an idiot, it didn't mean that he had to be.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Author's Note:

Bet you guys thought you'd never see another chapter to this story. I started thinking about it, and decided that my original one shot (turned two shot) will now become a five chapter story. But really, that will be it. Honest. I already know what the next two songs will be, so now I just have to write them.


	4. Broken Road

Disclaimer Part I: The characters of Inuyasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me. The song Broken Road by Rascal Flatts doesn't belong to me either.

Chapter Four

Broken Road

"So... the road isn't really a road?"

"That's correct, Inuyasha. The road is symbolic. It simply represents another topic."

"Why couldn't they just say what they mean?"

"Sometimes it is easier to understand a difficult topic when you simplify it, give it another form. Especially with something that has no physical form to begin with."

Mrs. Higurashi watched as the young man courting her daughter (in his own fashion) thoughtfully chewed on the ramen noodles. For days he had been popping up out of the well frantically searching for her daughter, muttering lyrics to an odd assortment of songs. This last song, however, didn't have him rushing to Kagome's room demanding to see the girl. This one had him sitting in her kitchen staring at his food. Eventually he asked her if she had ever heard the song about the broken road. After a little digging, she gently pried some of the lyrics from him. Eventually they were able to locate the song and play it.

Over and over again.

And over and over again.

It reminded her of when Souta was little and had his one favorite song that he would listen to and that was it. The song was played nearly non-stop all day. Thankfully he grew out of it. But it was different than with Inuyasha. The young man seemed to be trying to figure something out. And if it helped the two along the path to one day providing her with adorable grandchildren with soft fuzzy ears, she was more than happy to let him listen to the song as long as he'd like.

"So... the getting lost part, that doesn't actually mean getting lost." He puffed up his chest. "I don't get lost. Keh, as if dog demons could get lost. I always know where I'm going."

She smiled gently. He was such a proud man. It was so cute!

"No. Getting lost is also symbolic. It means that though you may have been walking along a path in life, it may not have been leading you to where you ultimately were destined to go. Sometimes fate pushes us in directions we didn't think we wanted to go, but because it did, we ended up where we are now. With the people we now know and love."

When Inuyasha continued to study his noodles, she decided to tell him a little story.

"When I was a girl Kagome's age, there was a boy that I was in love with. His name was Rei. Oh, he was very handsome. And very smart. Gifted and talented, too. I was thrilled and flattered when he asked me on a date. I knew that he would be the man that I would one day marry. He was the first boy I truly fell in love with. I didn't so much as look at another boy. He was older than me by a year or two. I was still in school when he graduated. Then Rei went away to college."

"What was he like? Rei." The silver haired boy paused for a moment, looking a little uncomfortable. "She... doesn't really talk about her dad."

"Rei grew from a handsome teenager, to an even more handsome man. Some would even call him beautiful. When he got to college, he found that there were plenty of women there who were more than happy to show him just how beautiful they thought he was. I found this out when I went to visit him one day, bringing him cookies I had baked in my Home Economics class. A girl answered the door wearing Rei's favorite shirt. It was very apparent that they had been... well... intimate. I was crushed."

When she noticed Inuyasha's expression go from shocked to murderous, she decided it would be a good idea to hurry the story along. "But Rei was not Kagome's father, Inuyasha. I changed which schools I was applying for, unable to face going to the same college where I might run into Rei and his girlfriend. I wanted to go far away, and so I did. It was there that I met Kagome's father. The love I felt for him made my feelings for Rei pale in comparison. Not that my feelings for Rei hadn't been real. I did love him. But it wasn't the same kind of love I felt for Kagome's father. I may have once loved Rei... but my husband was my life." She wiped at the tears threatening to fall. "He was my everything."

Inuyasha looked scared. Apparently dealing with weepy women was not his forte. It caused her to giggle lightly, which only served to frighten him a little more. Strange how emotions made him so nervous and uncomfortable when he had no problem facing a horde of demons intent on killing him.

"Rei was my narrow path. But if I hadn't met him and loved him, I would never have switched to a different college. I would never have met my beloved husband. In an odd sort of way, that heartbreak guided me towards my true love." She couldn't help but add, "And I never would have had Kagome or Souta."

"...a broken road..." Inuyasha mumbled to himself as he swirled the cup of noodles. The mother in her wished he would eat something more nutritious. Now, however, was not a time to lecture on proper nutrition.

In her heart she knew the answer to the question she was about to ask. But she needed to hear the words.

"Do you love my daughter, Inuyasha?"

She half expected him to bolt, like he had on many occasions when it looked like feelings might be discussed. His body jerked, but he remained in his seat. Though he was unable to look directly at her.

"Keh."

"Inuyasha."

He looked towards her, but not at her. It took a few minutes of looking at him unwaveringly before he began to speak. "What if... How do you know I'm not... You were Kagome's age when you fell in love with Rei. When she's older she might..." He swallowed hard, then looked back at his cup. "I could just be part of the broken road. One of them northern stars. Her destiny... it might... might not be..."

"How do you know she is not your destiny?" She interrupted before he worked himself up to heading back through the well to his own time. "And you hers?"

"Feh. I don't believe in destiny."

No. She supposed he wouldn't. Not after his life. From what information she had been able to glean, he had lived a very rough and solitary life. Fate would seem cruel if that is the life he had been meant to lead. Though it shaped him. Made him into the man, or hanyou, that he is. And without that pain, without that terrible past, he may never have met Kagome. Whether he could see it or not, Kagome had been a big influence in his life. He had changed over the time he knew her. But he needed time to figure these things on his own.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, she realized it was getting late.

"Kagome and Souta will be home from school soon. I should go shopping for tonight's dinner. Would you like to come along, or would you like to wait here?"

A faint blush tinted his cheeks. He turned his head so quick she almost didn't notice.

"I'll... wait."

"Okay. Let them know I will be back soon."

"Sure."

Slipping on her shoes and grabbing her purse, Mrs. Higurashi headed for the door. Her hand was on the door when his quiet voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Could... I listen to the song... one more time?"

With a light heart, she showed him how to work the CD player. She could almost see her grandchildren playing out in the yard. Hopefully they'd have their father's ears. And their mother's eyes. Their grandfather's smoky eyes of dark blue gray that Kagome inherited. Maybe 

she could take a little longer and indulge in a little daydream window shopping at the children's clothing store on her way to the market.

"Of course!"

She watched as the dog demon poked at the buttons on the CD player. And which button was the Repeat button. She watched his face closely. The emotion she saw there made her heart soar.

Hope.

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Author's Note:

The next chapter will be the last chapter. And in the next chapter Kagome FINALLY makes an appearance. The color of her eyes, by the way, is based on the color covers of the manga, not the anime.

Thank you guys for your wonderful reviews! It means a lot to me. :O)


	5. Searching for a Song

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

Searching for a Song

"Now Kagome, don't be mad."

Kagome paused at the door, one shoe off and the other set to drop. Slowly she set down her bookbag, took her other shoe off, and narrowed her eyes at her mother.

"You know... when someone says that... the chances are that I'm probably going to be mad."

"Now dear, just listen please."

Kagome crossed her arms and tried not to glower. It wasn't her mother's fault it had been a rotten morning (How could her alarm clock possibly be broken AGAIN?). A rotten day at school (she hated lying to her friends and teachers, and having to come up with creative lies to cover her grandather's lies was even harder). A rotten trip to WacDonalds (besides the fact they got everything on her order wrong, she still had her now meddling friends physically shoving poor clueless Houjo at her). And a rotten walk home (maybe she just got too used to walking with a scary looking hanyou that kept people from harrassing her).

"What did he do?"

"Just keep in mind that possessions are replacable..."

"Did he break my bike again?" She tried not to scream. Honest.

"And I have already placed an order to buy back some of the broken CDs," her mother said as if Kagome wasn't on the edge of hysteria.

"My MUSIC? You let him touch my music?"

She stormed off in the direction of the stairs. She was stopped by a gentle hand on her elbow. Trying to not breath fire, Kagome turned to her mother and bit back a snarl.

"I want your promise, Kagome. Right now." Her mother said firmly, though a smile was still on her face. In fact, the woman seemed downright giddy in the face of Kagome's wrath. "You will promise to listen, pay attention, and not make any snap judgements. Count to te... thirty before you say a word to him. Promise me."

"Thirty? You're kidding."

"Kagome..."

The young miko closed her eyes. "Fine. I'll count to thirty. Then I'm killing him."

Instead of arguing, her mother did the oddest thing... She wished her luck from the bottom of the stairs.

Even as Kagome was shaking her head at her mother's odd behaviour, she regretted making the promise. The sounds coming from her room were a sure sign that it must be in shambles. And she never really heard Inuyasha use words like those before, and she had heard her share of swear words coming from his mouth in the past. Quietly she opened the door. Hoping she would be able to get through the silent counting fast.

A CD barely missed her head as the door opened.

30

Inuyasha was in the middle of the floor throwing around her CDs!

29

She opened her mouth to yell, then promptly clamped her jaw shut as she remembered her promise. Dang it.

28

Inuyasha reached for her computer!

27

Her body jerked as if she had been punched as he touched the machine. Her mind blanked, then countinued her count... possibly a little faster than before.

26

25

24

He opened up the CD drive on the side of the computer and took out a disk and threw it backwards as he inserted another disk? How in the world did he know how to do that? She didn't know he knew what a computer was for, much less know how to open the disk drive. Was he... downloading music?

23

22

Inuyasha downloading music? All she could do was watch and try not to lose count so she could ask him what in the world he thought he was up to.

21

He scrolled through the music and gently (GENTLY!) touched the key to make the music play.

20

He glared at the screen and tapped his foot, and growled, as if threatening the music to hurry along.

19

Her eyes strayed to the wreckage of her room and she lost count. Every CD she owned was off the shelf. Most were on the floor or on the bed, others were in pieces scattered on the floor. She must have made a sound, because a Inuyasha spun around.

15 maybe? Close enough.

14

"K...Kagome..."

13

"I uh.... I was uh...."

12

The dog demon looked for a way to escape. Kagome simply crossed her arms and glared at him. Glaring wasn't talking. Guiltily he looked around the room.

11

"I was looking..."

10

He looked terribly uncomfortable, and Kagome fought against feelings of sympathy.

9

"I was looking... for the right music... because it talks for you."

What in the world was he talking about?

8

"And you might be the broken road, but that ain't all of it and its still missing something."

7

Broken road?

"And the others said music says stuff better than sometimes someone can say stuff without it because the words work better."

6

Oh good heavens. Please say that they weren't messing with poor Inuyasha's mind anymore.

5

She thought she had scolded them well enough after Inuyasha broke into the school and nearly destroyed the place trying to find her after some silly prank Sango and Miroku played on him with a song.

4

It wasn't nice for them to keep emotionally manipulating him.

3

"Your mom said I could try to find a song in here that said the right thing if I wanted to."

"My mother?"

"She said it might be here, but it isn't. She showed me how to use the com-pyu-tor to save the songs I thought might work. Some of 'em say ok stuff, but none of them is the right stuff. And..."

"My mother knows how to use the computer?"

Inuyasha fidgeted nervously, Kagome moved her body between his and the computer in case he had any funny ideas of using his sword on it. "Yeah... she showed me something called a web page that she works on."

"MY MOTHER HAS A WEB PAGE?"

He shoved broken pieced of CD under her bed with his foot, probably hoping she didn't notice. "Said it'd help business at the shrine. Which I... uh... promised I'd help clean."

And before she knew it, the dog demon was gone. Big strong fearless Inuyasha had taken the coward's way out of the conversation.

She sighed at the wreckage that was once her CD collection. Why would her mother have let him do this? And when did the woman learn to use the computer? Kagome turned to the computer and looked at the screen. It struck her as funny that Inuyasha had a playlist. Then she looked at the folder that was labeled with her name. She wondered if he typed it or if her mother did.

_Broken Road_ by Rascal Flatts, _Always and Forever_ by Heatwave, _Happy Together_ by the Turtles (maybe that one was her mother's CD), _You are the Sunshine of My Life_ by Stevie Wonder, Everything I Do by Bryan Adams, _I Will Always Love You_ by Whitney Houston... Kagome's heart began to race. She tried to calm herself and not get suckered into wishful thinking. She kept reading the song titles. _We've Only Just Begun_ by the Carpenters, _I Do Cherish You_ by 98 Degrees, _This I Promise You_ by *NSYNC, _No One_ by Alicia Keys, _Just the Way You Are_ by Billy Joel... Was it possible? Was Inuyasha saying what she thought he might be saying? _Because You Loved... It's Your Love... But I Do Love You...Could I have This Kiss Forever..._

Wait... What? Quickly she looked up the title _Could I Have This Kiss Forever_ by Enrique Iglesius as she clicked on the song to play it.

"I thought he had forgotten," she whispered. They had shared one kiss. One small kiss so long ago. One he never mentioned after that day.

"Don't be an idiot, Kagome," said a soft voice from the other side of her bedroom door. "I ain't forgot nuthin."

Words of desire filled the room as the music played. Wishes to hold and be close and to never let go. Wishes to have this kiss for a lifetime. Forever. Kagome's heart thundered in her chest as she listened to the words, knowing that Inuyasha was on the other side of the door listening too.

"The songs... they don't say it all... they don't say it the way... they just don't say enough. But... but they all have something that is right, too..."

"They..." Kagome tried not to hyperventilate as she gathered her courage, "They say a lot of the right things for me too."

There was silence. Neither one moved. Kagome was caught between jumping for joy, hiding under the covers, and being held motionless in fear of breaking this fragile moment in time.

"I'll help you clean up," he said gruffly, then pink cheeked came from behind the door.

Together they began gathering pieces of CDs, managing to avoid the other's eyes. Then they turned towards each other. Kagome blushed as she managed to meet his intense gaze. They held a little fear, a little apprehension, and a lot of hope. She couldn't help but smile at him. Slowly the fear and apprehension in his eyes faded, leaving only hope... and a warmth she felt in her own heart.

She leaned forward, causing Inuyasha to drop ungracefully from his usually squatting pose to land on his rump. But he didn't run. He took a slow breath and stayed very still. Kagome smiled at him.

"Yes," she said.

He blinked in confusion, since he had not said a word since they started cleaning.

"Though forever doesn't seem long enough."

Inuyasha blushed, then swallowed. Hard. "I can't give you money, Kagome. Or nice houses. Or cars. Or..."

"I don't care about that."

"And I still have a lot to learn. And I don't have my demon powers totally under control. And with Naraku still out there I can't promise..."

"Inuysaha," Kagome pressed her fingers to his lips to stop his rant. Mustering all of her courage she drew closer she could feel his breath on her face. Then she removed her fingers and asked, "Are there any reasons why we should?"

There was a moment of indecision in his eyes. Then she could see the change. The resolve. His eyes practically glowed like amber as his hands oh so gently went to her shoulders. He waited, as if waiting for her to pull away. When she tilted her head up instead, he breathed a sigh of relief. Then so softly, so carefully, Inuyasha touched his lips to hers. It was a kiss like the brush of butterfly wings.

"Yeah," he whispered against her lips, "yeah there are."

Briefly Kagome made a note to thank her mother and Sango and Miroku. Then he began kissing her again, and the only song that briefly went through her mind before she lost all ability to think was "Ever After", because that is how she knew that things were going to end after all...

Happily Ever After.

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Author's Note: Yes I know that all the songs are in English and probably not very representational of what she would really be listening to. But I have to go with music I know and what was reccommended by various Top Love Song sites.

Hope you enjoyed the story. It was fun, though it went on much longer than I originally intended.


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